Runaway Rose's Adventures
by missladybug62
Summary: Rose decides to run away as Titanic prepares to sail. What will become of her? She meets Jack Dawson but fate has other plans in store for both Jack and Rose.
1. Chapter 1

**Runaway Rose's Adventures**

**A/N: This short story is actually the first Titanic fan fiction I had ever written, about four years ago. I didn't realize that I had this story, until I came across it hidden in some files on my computer and then found it uploaded to my old Angelfire site. So here it is.. Ladies and gentlemen.. I appreciate reviews and even constructive criticism, but please.. No flames. I get hurt very easily :)**

**As Rose and her mother came back into the hotel after a day of shopping, they both set their many bags down on the bed and Rose sat down wearily. What a way to travel Rose thought to herself. If only she could be free to travel where she wanted, when she wanted and only half as lightly. Tomorrow would be the beginning of her nightmarish trip to America and her marriage to the dull and impossibly boring Caledon Hockley. If only so many invitations hadn't of already been sent out, and if only all of Philadelphia society weren't to be there. And there was no small matter about her lavish wedding dress, which Rose was due for a final fitting once they arrived back to the States. Although he certainly had the money, Rose still couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of sadness at this arranged marriage. She certainly wasn't marrying for love. Rose felt sure somehow that there was more to life than the amount of money one had in one's bank account.**

**Cal had given Rose and Ruth several hundred dollars that morning and sent them on their way to buy more clothes all for the pretense of Rose's wedding trouseau but Rose knew better. He only cared about her outward appearances and that she be presented in the fashion to which he and his group of hob nob society patrons were alone privy to.**

**Ruth Dewitt-Bukater knew of but could not understand her daughter's reluctance to marry such a fine gentleman. Caledon Hockley would be able to ensure that they survived the debacle which her late husband Joseph had left. A mountain of debts hidden only by their good name.**

**Ruth sighed as she thought about her daughter and her tirades against a fine match. She just couldn't understand how Rose could have changed so. Rose had been such a sweet and darling little girl and so eager to please. But since Joseph's death, Rose had changed overnight and Ruth was none too pleased about it either.**

**Returning her thoughts back to the present, she had Trudy start to add the new clothing to the already packed steamer trunks. It had been a difficult day of shopping what with Rose questioning and challenging every dress, skirt or shirtwaist that Ruth had picked out, demanding that she be the one to choose the outfits that she alone would have to wear. Ruth was tired out by the long demanding day and had Trudy lay out her evening wear and then went to lie down for a bit.**

**April 9, 1912 6:00 P.M. Rose's Hotel Suite**

**Rose stared out the window at the fading sunlight and from her window, she could see the towering hull of the Titanic from which they would sail tomorrow. Oh she had sailed before but somehow there was just something about this ship that set her heart aflutter with fear perhaps? She didn't know. All she knew was that she did not want to return to America with the insufferable Caledon Hockley.**

**Her mind was frantically trying to find some way out of this marriage. Being so young and idealistic, she had of course hoped to marry for love. To have a life mate that she had chosen, that she was in love with and wanted to share her life with. But it had not turned out that way.**

**She turned and paced the room, having been informed by Trudy that her mother and Caledon Hockley would be by her room at 6:30 sharp to pick her up for dinner in the impressive hotel restaurant. Her stomach was churning and thick with fear and anger and she doubted sincerely that she would be able to eat.**

**April 9, 1912 7:00 P.M. SouthWestern Hotel Dining Room**

**The dining area was elegantly appointed and it was nothing new to Rose so therefore she had not been impressed. Caledon had noticed his fiancee's lack of impressiveness and turned to his future mother-in-law and said, " Your daughter is unimpressed Ruth. Whatever shall I do that could impress the lovely Rose? I say.. Titanic should impress her. I've heard that the ship is unsinkable. We shall have a wonderful voyage and not have a care while on board."**

**He slapped his hand against the table and continued on with his boring conversation about the grand Titanic and other boring topics to Rose. She had tuned him out and had learned to do so early in this farce of a courtship. And she anticipated on doing so even after they were married.**

**As predicted, Rose could not stomach the food that was eventually set before her and she picked at the lobster a la' mousse and the caviar was less than appealing. Ruth gave her daughter a hard glare at her lack of proper etiquette as Rose sat there, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her auburn curls. In a whisper Ruth said, " Stop that Rose. Didn't I bring you up better than that? Turn your attention to your food and to YOUR fiance'." Rose gave her mother a look of utter boredom and resentfully turned back to her food, still continuing to barely pick at it and glanced over at the handsome face of the man that she would soon find herself chained to for life.**

**April 9, 1912 10:00 P.M.**

**Back at the hotel, Rose sat at her mirrored table with all of its elegant appointments and stared hard at the miserable image of herself in the mirror. Twirling a satin ribbon on the lovely lace nightgown set that her mother had bought for her in Paris, she thought once more about how her life had become totally unmanageable and out of control.**

**When she heard footsteps coming down the hallway, she quickly extinguished the light and climbed into the bed. She did NOT want the insufferable Caledon in her bedroom. He had tried on several occasions to compromise her before their marriage. Hah, she snorted silently. Some first class gentleman! Trying to bed his fiancee before they were legally wed.**

**With another quiet snort she wondered what her proper and virtuous mother would think if she knew that. Knowing Ruth, Rose thought silently, she would say that it was Rose's duty to keep her fiance's attention even if it meant letting him put his filthy paws all over her body before they were married.**

**She held her breath as the footsteps stopped and the door opened slightly. Rose had closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. As expected, she could hear Caledon's sigh and the door closing once more quietly and then the receding footsteps. Or checking up on her, Rose thought with more than just a tad of resentment flooding through her soul. How dare he check up on her as if she were a prisoner? Ah that's a good one Rose m'girl. You are a prisoner at that, she thought. Oh if only she could run away. Run away? Quietly Rose got up out of the bed and moved over to the dresser drawer. She still had some of Cal's money from the shopping expedition.**

**With trembling hands, Rose counted out the money. With a gasp she realized that Cal had given them several thousand dollars that morning.. not hundreds but thousands. For in her hands was three thousand dollars. Enough to get away from here.**

**She sat down on the velvet dresser chair before her legs collapsed from the sheer excitement. Why she could escape and run away and with that kind of money, why she would have more than enough to get away and not have to worry for some time. She would not board the Titanic tomorrow for she had a dreadful feeling about that ship anyhow. Instead she would head for the train station and purchase a one way ticket to Ireland.**

**She would hide out on the coast for awhile and when the heat had died down, then she would make her way back to the United States. Of course she knew that she could never return to Philadelphia, not that that mattered any. And Ruth? Why Rose hardly felt any sympathy for her mother at all. After all her mother had been willing to sacrifice Rose on the altar of greed and vanity.**

**Her heart was racing in her chest as she thought about how to do this. She would have to leave early in the morning, and of course she would not take any of the new Paris fashions with her. Her first stop however would be to a beauty salon to get her hair taken care of.**

**Despite the fact that Rose had beautiful hair and she knew it, she had to change in order to get away from Cal. So she would have her hair cut short. It would grow back in time she thought ruefully. Better to have short hair and be away from Cal than to keep the long locks and suffer in this dreadful imprisonment. After all Cal thought nothing of hitting her or pushing her around if he saw fit. He was the king of the house, she thought bitterly. Well he was getting what he deserved. And with that final thought she went to bed so that she could be up early.**

**April 10, 1912 - 6:00 A.M.**

**The first rays of sunshine broke through the heavy drapery and filtered softly across Rose's face. The warmth caused her to stir and stretch sleepily and then sit upright. She hurriedly got out of bed took off the lace nightgown set and laid it across the bed then moved over to the closet where she picked one of the plainest gowns she had and a pair of plain undergarments and shoes and then dressed.**

**Even for a plain gown, it still stood out as an expensive dress and she knew that she would have to ditch it as soon as possible in order to not attract any more attention to herself than was necessary. Then after hastily dressing, she took a few small bills out of the three thousand and put it in her handbag and the rest she folded neatly and carefully placed inside her bodice. Then she took one quick glance around as she left the room and out towards her freedom.**

**Rose walked slowly as if she weren't just dying to run down the stairs and out the lobby into the great wide outdoors. She knew, however, that if she ran she would only attract attention. So she walked slow and ladylike until she had reached the great wide doors to the hotel.**

**Once she was on the outside, she felt such a sense of freedom. She gulped in the air, taking in the scenes around her. It was sailing day and so therefore it was very busy around the hotel and spilling on down towards the dock. This would be an easy getaway.**

**She rounded the corner and once out of sight of the hotel, she took off running. It was a good thing that she was in shape, Rose thought to herself. There were several small dress shops nearby and even a hairdresser as well. She felt as if God were smiling down on her for her plucky courage and moved into the dress shop.**

**When she emerged thirty minutes later, she was dressed as a common street woman. Gone was the expensive dress and shoes and replaced with a sensible cotton shirtwaist and plain skirt with plain lace up boots. Now if she could only detract attention from her flaming red curls. So she clutched her handbag tighter and moved on to the hairdresser.**

**Rose stepped inside and could hear the faint chiming of a clock and a middle aged man with white hair stepped forward and upon seeing the beautiful young woman he said, " Ah what can I do for you Miss?" Rose wasn't sure what to do with her hair. So she said with a trembling voice, " I want to have my hair cut short." The man's face turned into a frown and he said, " Now why would ya want ta do somethin' like that? You're hair bein' so pretty as it is Miss."**

**She came forward and said, " I want my hair cut. Will you do it or must I find someone else?" The man grunted and pointed to a chair. Rose sat down reluctantly and soon felt the cool blades of the scissors and then the slicing noise as it cut through the thick curly locks.**

**Within moments her head felt lighter and Rose was both happy and sad. Once the hair had been shorn, she looked into a mirror and was rather surprised and pleased with how he had styled her newly shorn hair. It was actually quite chic looking and she knew that now no one from her previous life would recognize her. She quickly paid the hairdresser who was mumbling about the world going mad and left.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Runaway Rose's Adventures**

**April 10, 1912 - 9:00 A.M.**

**Rose mingled with the crowd of ordinary passers by and stared up at the towering black hull of the mighty Titanic and with a quiet sigh of relief , was grateful that she wouldn't be on that slave ship.**

**She was unsure, however, of what she would do and how she would make it in the world alone. Rose was a daughter of luxury and wealth and had been waited on and pampered all of her life. Well, she chided herself mentally, now was the time to find out her true mettle.**

**She knew that she could do it too and furthermore she wanted to. The life of idlesome wealth was tiring to her. She just knew that she could be someone. Someone more than just Rose DeWitt-Bukater, a decoration on some man's arm. And at least, she thought wryly, it won't be with the insufferable Caledon Hockley.**

**In fact she got a good laugh as she thought about what would be going on at the hotel now. For surely by this time she thought, her mother and Cal would both be up and Ruth would be knocking down the door to Rose's bedroom to fetch her for breakfast. She stood for awhile watching the ship, then turned and headed away from the ship and the docks.**

**Rose suddenly realized that she was feeling quite hungry and hadn't had anything to eat. As she wandered the streets she came across an inn and the door was partially open. Umm she thought to herself, she could smell something delicious being cooked inside. The thought of food made her stomach churn anxiously and she chided herself for not having eaten before now.**

**Taking on the new role of commoner she stepped inside and looked around for a moment, then took a seat clutching her purse tightly. An older woman approached her and said in a soft Irish lilt, " What can I get for ya dearie?" Rose said, " I would love whatever it is your cook is making for breakfast. It smelt so delicious from the street." The woman laughed and then said, " Oh so ya smelt my Georgie's ham and eggs did ya? And fresh made biscuits with butter too if ya like. How about a cup of hot tea?" Rose murmured her thanks appreciatively and the lady went to see that her meal was prepared.**

**As Rose was sitting there waiting patiently for her breakfast, the door opened and a young gentleman stepped in as well. He looked around and then took a seat at a table not too far away from Rose but with his back turned. Rose studied him and noted the blonde hair that looked rather shaggy and unkempt but the color was beautiful.**

**The sun shining through the window bounced off his hair making it bright gold. Oh Rose wanted to see what his face looked like. With hair like that he surely must be good looking as well. The woman returned moments later and set her plate before her, along with a fresh cup of hot tea to replace the one that Rose had already finished. Then she left the girl alone to have her breakfast.**

**Rose finished her breakfast and after paying for the meal she turned to leave and when she did so, she reluctantly ran into the young man and saw him face to face. Rose stared at his face and it was only when the young man excused himself that she realized she had been staring at him.**

**She murmured an apology and the man said, " I am sorry miss. I should be more careful. Do accept my apology." Rose said that it was quite alright. Then he held out his hand and said, " The name's Jack Dawson. And you might be?" Rose wasn't sure of what to call herself anymore so she quickly stammered out, " I'm Rose Baker." He then smiled and turned to leave. Rose hoped that she would see him again but doubted that.**

**She left the inn and stepped back outside into the brilliant sunshine. Glancing at her watch she saw that it was only 10:30 in the morning. Titanic wasn't set to sail until noon and she had to stick around long enough to see from a distance of course, her mother and Cal boarding that ship. Then she would be safe. Suddenly from up the street she could hear a commotion going on and it was coming from the direction of the hotel.**

**Rose suddenly felt fear and knew that she had to get out of here for she was sure that the commotion had to do with her so called 'disappearance' and that it was surely mother and Cal looking for her.**

**She turned hurriedly and ran right into the shaggy blonde haired man. The man smiled at the pretty red haired woman and said, " Well we run into each other again and so soon." He could see the fear on the woman's face and said, " Come with me Miss Baker. Let's take a stroll down towards the waterfront and watch the brand new ship that's to depart soon." Rose pulled away and shook her head then turned and ran in the opposite direction.**

**Now that, Jack thought, was positively the strangest experience he had ever had with a woman. He wondered what could have frightened her so and sent her scurrying away? Well he would just have to find out. And so he set out after her, determined to not let her get away so hastily.**

**Rose kept glancing back over her shoulder periodically as she continued her frantic pace away from the waterfront, sure that mother and Cal must surely be hot on her trail. And she could not, no she WOULD NOT go back. There was no turning back now for Rose..Rose Baker.**

**She stifled a laugh as she realized that she couldn't even come up with a decent last name for herself. Why had she called herself Baker? Because she had been thinking about the baker at the inn who had cooked up her fabulous breakfast.**

**She heard footsteps quickly approaching and she was becoming more frightened by the moment. As she rounded a corner in the street she ducked into an alleyway and flattened herself against the wall hoping that she wouldn't be seen. As the person passed, she could see that it had been the shaggy blonde gentleman who had introduced himself as Jack Dawson back at the inn.**

**Breathing a sigh of relief, she moved out and called to the gentleman in a soft voice. Jack turned around when he heard his name and he saw the beautiful red headed woman standing there looking at him with big brown eyes that looked sad and scared. Once more he wondered what could have frightened her so.**

**He turned around and sauntered towards her slowly as if she might dart and run away again. She reminded him of a frightened deer. He then said, " Miss Baker was it not?" She nodded and upon hearing footsteps nearby she began to cry and said, " Please help me will you? I have to get away from them." He didn't have a clue as to who "they" were but he made an instant decision that he would help the beautiful young woman who was obviously in quite a bit of distress. He held out his hand and said, " Hold my hand Miss Baker and follow me."**

**She grabbed on to his hand as if she were hanging on for dear life and to Rose she was. He walked at a fast pace and Rose was having a hard time keeping up with him for he was practically pulling her along behind him.**

**From a distance she could hear her mother and Cal's voices as they were questioning people if they had seen a beautiful young woman with long flaming red curls. She could also hear Cal cursing that they would miss the ship if they didn't find her and soon. Rose could feel her heart skip a beat. Surely they would sail anyway whether she was found or not. She couldn't bear the thought of them staying in Southampton. Well if she thought that they would stay in Southampton, she would take her ticket and board anyway. Then she would go to America and probably head west somewhere.**

**Jack finally stopped in front of a rather run down looking building and inside and up a flight of rickety stairs and into an even more run down looking apartment. He closed the door behind him and said with a wry sense of humor, " This is home sweet home. I know it's not much but you're welcome to whatever I have here. In the meantime why don't I fix some tea for us? Then perhaps you can sit and tell me what it is you're so frightened of."**

**Rose glanced at her watch. It was now 11:00 A.M. She had to get back down to the docks before noon and see if her mother and Cal would be boarding Titanic or whether they were staying. If they stayed, she would board. If they boarded, she would stay. It was just that simple.**

**Rose wasn't sure of how to tell a complete stranger the even stranger facts of her life, but she decided that she must be completely honest and truthful if she were going to get him to assist her any further in her new and independent life away from mother and Cal. So she took a deep breath and quickly tried to sum up her life as it had been so far.**

**Jack stared at Rose and let out a low whistle and said, " I just knew that you didn't seem to belong down here with the likes of us. You have an aristocratic bearing about you that even your simple clothes couldn't hide. I'm sorry that your family has made life a hell for you. I can understand why you would want to escape. Hell.. oh forgive me for my language Miss Baker.. I wouldn't want to live that way."**

**Then Rose reached into her purse and pulled out a first class ticket to board the steamship Titanic and said, " I have to get back down to the docks and I should be able to view the passengers as they board. If I see my mother and Cal board the ship, then I'm safe although I'll stay out of sight until the ship leaves. But if they do not board then I have to get on board that ship and get back to America and then from there well.. I don't know about that. Probably I'll head west."**

**Jack said, " Go to California Miss Baker. It's just beautiful out there. I've been there before." She stared at him and then said, " You do get around don't you? Will you go with me on Titanic if I do go? I'll buy you a ticket." Jack stared at her as if she had gone completely mad and said, " Well.. well. I'm not sure if I should get any further involved in this than I already have. I'll think about it."**

**She sighed and then said frantically, " Well you don't have long to think about it Mr. Dawson. I say let's head back down to the docks." He nodded and said, " Yes we had best go then, for it's a good ten minute walk down to the docks and it's already 11:30 now." So she followed him and as they left the building, he offered her his arm and she clung to him.**

**April 10, 1912 - 11:40 A.M.**

**Rose could feel her heart pounding fiercely inside her chest as she watched with much trepidation as the passengers walked gaily up the gangplanks and onto the ship. She stood just close enough where she could watch the first class passengers board and all the while she clung tightly to Mr. Dawson's arm.**

**Jack could understand her fear and her deep desire to escape and he wanted to help her but he couldn't let her pay for his ticket on the Titanic and so if she boarded, he knew that she would board alone. And as he watched the scene around him, he said quietly without even looking at Miss Baker, " I have decided not to board with you Miss Baker on the chance that you should decide to go. I have a home here and I've no desire to go anywhere else or see any more of the world. I've seen enough and been enough places to last a lifetime. And furthermore I don't want to cause you any embarrassment or pain. I'm a poor man and you've admitted you come from a first class family with wealth, power and prestige..."**

**Before he could continue she started to cry and he said, " Oh I didn't mean to make you cry Miss Baker." She shook her head and said, " I don't see my mother or Cal on board and I'm afraid that I will have to sail anyhow. I just wish that you would please change your mind and go." The ship's whistles blew as it was nearing departure and she had to hurry and so she turned and with tears in her eyes, said goodbye to Mr. Dawson and headed for a new life in America.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Runaway Rose's Adventures**

**April 17, 1912 - Southampton, England**

**Jack Dawson sat and stared out his window, feeling overwhelmed with melancholy and sadness. Ever since he had read the papers that morning about the sinking of the great Titanic, he had wished that he had gone. Of course he didn't know whether Miss Baker had survived or not.**

**He would like to think that she had, but of course he wouldn't probably ever find out. For even if she did survive and manage to make a life on her own, she didn't have his address to mail him a letter or anything. The news had just about destroyed Southampton and there wasn't much here anymore, so after he had read the letter, he had given his notice to the landlady and packed up his few belongings and headed to Ireland.**

**He would find himself a little cottage and live there and sell his paintings by the shore. Of course he thought ruefully, if he had gone with Miss Baker on the Titanic, he would have more than likely perished, but at least he could have been assured that she was safe. As he glanced around the little room that he had lived in for more than a year and a half he quickly turned and left the room closing the door behind him.**

**April 20, 1913 - Off the Irish Coast**

**Jack sat out on his front lawn overlooking the expanse of ocean and painted the surroundings. In his picture of the ocean, he had inadvertently painted the R.M.S. Titanic. It was no coincidence, he thought to himself, that the first anniversary of the sinking had come and gone just days before. Once again he couldn't help but think about the beautiful red headed woman, Miss Baker and whether she had survived that fateful night.**

**May 15, 1913**

**Jack had been having a wonderful day selling his portraits in town for a dime apiece and had made quite a hit. He knew that this weekend he would go into the big city for the annual carnival and would probably make a killing there.**

**Anyway he had gone to the postal centre and picked up his mail. As he wandered down the hill towards his home, he browsed through the letters and his heart stopped when he got a letter that had an American address and it was from California. In his heart he knew that Miss Baker.. Rose.. had made it. That she had survived the heartbreaking night of the Titanic and had gone on to make a life for herself. He hurriedly opened the letter, his heart beating fiercely and began to read:**

_**Dear Mr. Dawson,**_

_**I know it's been over a year since the Titanic sank and I truly meant to write since then but just haven't found the time. I am alive and well and made it through that debacle. What you don't know is that mother and Cal were on board. I hadn't made it in time to the docks to see them board. I did manage to escape from them and they never knew that I was on board. But I did learn afterwards that Cal did not make it. Mother did and was devastated when she believed me to be dead.**_

_**I am in California now and am working as an actress and very happy. I did try to write you in Southampton but had the letter returned and the landlady gave me your new address in Ireland. I hope that life is treating you well and I know that you will always have a place in my heart for the way that you helped me that fateful day that I decided to sail on Titanic. If you ever get back to California look me up.**_

_**Yours affectionately,**_

_**Rose Baker**_

**Jack closed the letter and a peace settled over him that he hadn't experienced since he had first met Miss Baker, and then hearing about the Titanic tragedy believed her to be dead. He was grateful for her success and felt that she would achieve much as an actress and could become a true movie star.**

**He folded the letter up and went inside his house and under the bed, he pulled out a box and neatly placed the letter inside. Then with much happiness, he settled down on his front porch and began to draw again.**

**The End**


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